Some thoughts and reports from outings...

Following a couple of rather memorable outings (namely the northern light wild camp excursion – then an inversion treat on Lui!!) I have found available time at a premium, due to family and work commitments, the bane of all our lives! As days, then weeks pass, I find the urge growing from within, a need to get back out and climb a hill, or sample the outdoors in some fashion…. Is it a primeval urge or just an addiction to fresh air and exercise – who knows – but last weekend my addiction was biting away badly! Having been away from home most of the week I needed to spend time with the family (priority number one), but priority number two was to get out….

I arrived home late on Friday and a favourable weather forecast saw me getting the car parked and bike out at the Cally car park before 06.15… It was a chilly morning but the skies were clear. The last time I was here was as a 9 year old Cub Scout, and my behaviour was less than exemplary on that outing! More of that later………. I set off on the bike up through the trees and past Mill Dam, the shade provided by the trees was not welcome as the freezing temperatures were likely to cause my numb fingers to fall off!! Another two rounded Lochans whizzed by and something about kettles and ice plucking rocks during Ice ages popped into my head- a long lost memory from the Geography class room!

As I passed through the gates near Raor Lodge the sun was finally starting to warm me up. Even this early in the morning the power of the sun at this time of year quickly heats things up…. Well maybe not that much as it started to snow at this point , but it only proved to be a flurry and nothing to worry about. Loch Ordie was the intended destination. I hadn’t thought about a trip here until I was recuperating from my knee op and looking for some reasonable cycles to help in my healing. As it turned out I ended up on a high camp above Glen Tilt back then, however Ordie was proving perfect today. I reached the western shore and sat taking in the blue skies and sunshine. I even had time to get the drone out and make a short film…….Follow below link to film

This was great, and what more I was being well behaved. About 30 years previously there may have been a cub scout walk here and maybe three of these cubs maybe loosened the moorings of a few of the fishing boats……. A little fun we thought pushing them out then pulling them back in, until someone let go and two of the boats floated off into the middle of the loch. Time to scarper!!!!! A few hours later and finally the guilt got too much, confessions rolled off the tongue and groundings were dually handed out…. Lesson learnt – don’t think I’ve been near a fishing boat since ;)

As always the cycle back, nearly all downhill, was fantastic! An Osprey swung by to have a look which proved a highlight. I was back home for the family awaking near 9 and sat outside enjoying a coffee knowing there would be no guilt or confessions required this time…..;)

As an extra, a family weekend was had, but the urge remained and come Sunday evening I visited the hills above Dunkeld once more and had a quick leg stretch up Birnam Hill….. The addiction was still calling though and it would be another week before it was to be fed by proper big snowy mountains ……… To be continued….